Atharvashirsha
Every question on the site tagged Atharvashirsha, each answered from a timestamped source rather than a summary written from memory.
A Vedic Upanishadic hymn drawn from the Atharvaveda (here, to Ganapati) — self-proven (Siddha), but its Vedic mantras demand correct pronunciation.
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Who should recite Atharvashirsha versus Devi Suktam, and what did it achieve for King Suratha and the merchant Samadhi?
Those who wear the sacred thread should recite Atharvashirsha; women and those without it should rely on Devi Suktam — which alone brought King Suratha and the merchant Samadhi the divine vision of Jagadamba within 3 years, and can be recited 9, 27, or more times daily without formal initiation if a guru is unavailable.
How is a gold or silver hymn/Kavach locket properly consecrated?
Coat it in ghee, pour a stream of fresh milk over it, bathe it in Panchamrita and water while reciting Devi Suktam or Atharvashirsha, then recite the target deity's Kavach or mantra over it — the same method used to consecrate a Mangalsutra before marriage for lifelong protection.
What is the Coral (Rinaharta) Ganapati recommended for, and how is it consecrated?
Recommended for those with Mars as lord of the 1st or 9th house, or heavy debts — consecrated on a silver throne with Panchopachara/Shodashopachara worship, Ganapati Atharvashirsha Abhisheka, and betel-leaf offerings, and highly beneficial for hereditary blood ailments like thalassemia.
What is the Emerald (Panna) Ganapati recommended for, and how is it consecrated?
Recommended for neurological issues, memory loss, Alzheimer's, epilepsy, or indecisiveness — seated on a pure silver base with a consecrated Pitha Yantra, its Abhisheka water infused with Khas roots or three-knotted Durva is consumed on an empty stomach.
Which daily Ganapati recitation is appropriate based on sacred-thread status?
If invested with the sacred thread (Yajnopavita), daily recitation of the Atharvashirsha is optimal; others may recite the Ganapati Sahasranama, Shatnama, or Sankatanashana Ganesha Stotram with equal spiritual efficacy.
Unrest at home during a huge stotra anushthan is a test before the result, not a failure
The speaker says uchchatan does come when one has done a very great amount. He knows two or three people who recite the Ganpati Atharvashirsha in the thousands — taking a sankalp of a thousand paths, doing Havan at every hundred — and who tell him that nothing is changing in their lives. He tells them to stay positive: they are creating an enormous energy with a stotra said to grant every punya and erase the greatest graha doshas, and when that energy comes to give, it will give a great deal; having done so big an anushthan they will not receive anything small, so they are first tested to see what level they can go to, and only accordingly do they receive. In that state of test, uchchatan will come — peace will break, there will be fights at home — but that is not a negative effect of the sadhana, merely the vidhan for passing from that level to the next. Separately, he adds, if the mind turns away from a path it may just be that going to one place too often makes the mind wander — it is fun at first and then drops off — which is a different matter.
Switching between sadhanas: the biggest mistake that blocks divya drishti
The speaker says Divyadrishti definitely comes, and the biggest mistake sadhaks make is changing too much — a year of Ganesh upasana, "nothing happened", then on to whatever baba they saw on YouTube. Do the new sadhana if you like, he says, but do not abandon the old one. If one holds only Ganapati Atharvashirsha for a long time, one will need nobody: at some point the shaktis come on their own and the information one wants starts arriving. As evidence he cites two or three people who have kept up the Atharvashirsha since he first posted it nearly a year ago; one has recited it thousands of times, and whenever the speaker sees him his Aura has become remarkably strong and full of capacity.
Whose responsibility is it once a shakti has been invoked?
He says he is not speaking to frighten anyone but stating the reality: if you are doing a pratishtha, then it is your responsibility. You invoked a dev shakti, you did the pratishtha — and why did you do the pratishtha, when their puja and seva was not to be done at all; why did you call them? Having called them, you will have to carry on by rule. Asked separately, he answers that a person who wears the yajnopavita may absolutely do the abhyas and purashcharan of the Atharvashirsham.
What the Devi Atharvashirsham is and who may recite it
He says its fragrance should stay spread through the room and you will get much benefit from it, and will be able to sleep at ease — and that more japa on it is better. Of the Atharvashirsham he says it is simply prana: those who are adhikari, those who have the right to do all the paaths, should do it properly. Ordinarily, if you do not know the full paath vidhi, you should study it in Hindi, because one should know what is given in the Atharvashirsham.
The Pranava as the first upadesh, and its birth from the five faces
The speaker says the first upadesh Bhagavan Sadashiva gave was the Pranav: Omkar is the vachak and Shiva the vachya, the mantra is his own form, and daily remembrance of the Pranava is remembrance of him. A-kara came from the northern face, u-kara from the western, ma-kara from the southern, Bindu from the eastern and Nada from the middle face; with these five parts the Pranava expanded fully and became one syllable, and from it the whole world arose. He asks listeners to keep in mind that the form of bindu is the form of Mahamaya, as the Devi Atharvashirsha says bindu rupena: Bhagavati herself emerged as the bindu from the eastern face and took the form of Omkar.
The daily order is approved, with Shiva ji added back into it
A listener gives his nitya pujan order: Ganpati Atharvashirsha, Badvanal, Bhairav Namavali, Navarna mantra, Sarva Shloki, then Navarna mantra, and at the end the first mantra of the Argala. The order is entirely proper, the speaker says. But you are doing nothing of Shiva ji: at the very least utter the names of his twelve Jyotirlingas. You have skipped Shiva ji altogether, saying that Bhairav is Shiva himself so we are doing Bhairav ji — that is fine, but do Shiva ji's as well.
How is a 32-name kavach re-charged during Navratri?
Asked whether a 32-name kavach can be taken off and, after japa of the namavali, offered upon it again to increase its energy at the time of Navratri, the speaker says it can be done. First, if you are wearing it on a thread, remove the thread; then make a fresh thread of thirty-two knots, bathe it again with raw milk, and while reciting Dev Atharvashirsha or the Devi Suktam perform its abhishek — and then offer upon it.
Which mantra should be used for arghya instead of the Gayatri?
Then, without speaking the Gayatri mantra of Bhagavan Surya, you can also give water with his naam mantra, he says — it is not necessary that water be given only with his Gayatri. Read the Aditya Atharvashirsha; read even the Hindi translation and your subject will become clear. There is a mantra in it of Bhagavan Suryanarayan — the one with ghrini, Ghrini Suryay Namah — with that mantra you can give it. Or, in his view, you should use the tantric mantra of Suryanarayan; if you are not entitled, then give arghya with that. It is not as though Suryanarayan will not take the arghya.
What should be done about a dream of reciting the Ganapati Atharvashirsha?
A listener says that many times he sees Ganapati darshan in a dream, seeing himself reciting the Ganapati Atharvashirsha, and asks whether it is good and whether there is some indication. It is good in any case, brother, the speaker says — but this is not a subject to be told. All these things are not to be told publicly: delete the comment. Everyone will have heard it in any case, but these things are not told.
Is it appropriate to recite Ganapati Atharvashirsha without a Sacred Thread, and what is the alternative?
Ganapati Atharvashirsha is self-proven (Siddha) but, being a Vedic text, is appropriate for those who wear the Sacred Thread and know correct pronunciation; otherwise Sankat Nashan Stotra and Puranic recitations are highly effective on their own.
What does the Devi Atharvashirsha give?
In its Phalashruti it comes that the fruit obtained from studying all five Atharvashirshas is obtained from the recitation of the Devi Atharvashirsha alone — and along with it Bhagavati grants a great deal more, including the glory of the Navarna and of the Panchadashi Vidya.
Does the Atharvashirsha have to be done separately for each form?
No — it is not that if you are doing Bhagavati's Atharvashirsha you must do it separately for each form. One recitation done properly is enough. It is more excellent when done by those who wear the Yajnopavita, being Vedic — but where a Guru has given the order and you are a surrendered devotee at that level, the matter is different.
Who may study the Devi Atharvashirsha?
Asked for an upay from the Devi Atharvashirsha that could be done in the night, he answers: look, the Devi Atharvashirsha is a Vedic mantra. If you are a man and you wear the janeu, then do the study of the Atharvashirsha. Otherwise, study some other pauranik mantras.
How should a silver ball be abhimantrit and worn for a child?
Having got the solid ball made, abhimantrit it with the twelve names of Ganpati ji and get it worn round the neck in a green thread or in a silver chain itself, on the day of Wednesday, in the hora of Budh, in whichever paksha. Especially if the pujan can happen on a Wednesday falling on Chaturthi, on that same day; and better still, if some Brahmin of a Ganpati temple, or any Brahmin who has the experience of reciting the Ganpati Atharvashirsha and who has done at least 108 path, gets that solid ball abhimantrit with the Ganpati Atharvashirsha 108 times in one single day — then get it worn round the child's neck in a silver chain itself, on Wednesday in Budh's hora, and especially if Wednesday falls on Chaturthi, on that day.
What is the first step of the prana pratishtha of Ganpati?
If the Atharvashirsham is committed to memory that is most excellent; otherwise you can do an ordinary prana pratishtha by the Atharvashirsham. First of all, have the Shri vigraha of Ganpati ji bathed with panchagavya.
What follows the panchagavya bath?
After the panchagavya bath, reciting the Shri Ganpati Atharvashirsham, do an abhishek with raw cow's milk, made into a continuous dhara that falls upon them. If it falls from a dakshinavarti shankh that is most excellent, or if it falls from some silver vessel that is most excellent. Do their abhishek with that.
What completes the prana pratishtha?
After that, having done shodashopachar pujan — pujan of sixteen kinds — or panchopachar pujan and so on, place Ganpati in their place and again recite the Atharvashirsham at the very least fifteen times. The prana pratishtha of Ganpati is done. After that begin your havan and the rest, and your own path and puja. It will be in this same manner for all the deities.
What should be done when ancestral land has been seized?
Asked for some upaya or sadhana where the land of the ancestors has been seized by a powerful person, he answers: which sadhana do you wish to do? Take up that sadhana for a long time according to your shraddha. Look at the channel, sadhanas have been given there; in which of them is your faith, Tiwari ji. If you wish to take up Ganpati now and you wear the yajnopavit, then take up any one — the Atharvashirsham sadhana, the Sankatnashan sadhana, the Ashtavinayak sadhana — and continue it for a year.
Can the Sankatnashan be done at sandhya, and what of children?
Asked whether japa of the Sankatnashan Ganesh Stotram may also be done at the sandhya time, he says absolutely — it can be done in all three kaals, and in the night as well. Asked what effect the Atharvashirsham has upon children, he says the effect is good; you can teach it to them, and if they do it after the yajnopavit has been done it is most excellent, though you can have them do it in the ordinary way as well.Asked whether the Bajrang Baan may be recited daily, he says yes — but do certainly perfect it first, after which you may do one or so daily; there is nothing of the kind that it cannot be done, and if there is some trouble then more than one may be done.
Is it only bhoot-pret and the household's ancestors who trouble people?
Now what should he say to you, he answers. If you stay stuck in bhoot-pret then bhoot-pret will trouble you; go beyond it. Whether it be your pitr and ancestors, bhoot-pret, dev dosha or mantra dosha, Bhagavan Dattatreya is why he says again and again to do it — from him the shaman of any kind of dosha whatsoever happens. Do the sadhana of the Dattatreya Mala Mantra, and along with it the Ganpati Atharvashirsha and the first mantra of the Argala. These three are such things that every kind of dosha will be shamed; and when the dosha is shamed, whether mantra dosha, devi dosha or the dosha of the pitrs, all of them will be removed by it. You people stay troubled about bhoot-pret alone, he says — that if there is a bhoot the bhoot will cut you; nowadays there is a great deal of drama from you people.
The Atharvashirsha belongs to the Veda, so its pronunciation must be learnt first
The Atharvashirsha, since it is related to the Veda, will require you to learn the pronunciation a little, if you wish to do it yourself.
Who has the right to study the Devi Atharvashirsha?
The speaker says that because it is a vaidik mantra, a mantra of the Atharvaveda, not everyone has the right to it — that, he says, is the truth. But those who wear the yajnopavita should certainly study it, and all the sadhaks of the three varnas should. Those who will not accept this, he says, are no longer his subject; it is their own wish.
Which two mantras does the Devi Atharvashirsha discuss?
The Panchadashi first and the Navarna second. The speaker calls these the mantra-raj of the Devi, the most divine of the divine, beyond which there is nothing at all. Bhagavati has only these two as chief, and they are chief because it is these that the Atharvashirsha names openly.
What do new sadhaks need in order to take up the Atharvashirsha?
If new sadhaks are wearing the yajnopavita for the sake of the Atharvashirsham, then they should practise it, the speaker says — taking upadesh from some guru. Only the upadesh has to be taken; no separate special diksha is required in it.
Which two mantras does the Devi Atharvashirsha describe in full?
The speaker says that in earlier times things were kept so secret that nobody knew what a mantra even was, and that today there has been so much publicity that people feel the mantra is nothing. He calls the Navarna the mantra-raja, called the king of all mantras. In Bhagwati's Atharvashirsha — the one atharvashirsha by which alone the fruit of all five atharvashirshas is obtained — a full description is given of two mantras only: the Panchadashi of Bhagwati Rajarajeshwari, Ma Tripurasundari, Ma Jagadamba, and the Navarna mantra.
What of those who say they have done it for ten years and nothing happened?
To those who say to treat the Mother as a mother, that nothing will happen, that we have done it for ten years and nothing has happened, the speaker answers: quite right, nothing has happened, and nothing will happen ahead either. Do it for ten births in place of ten years and nothing will happen. When the matter has been discussed in a thing like the Atharvashirsha, in the Upanishad, in the Dev Upanishad, and its whole extended subject given, then the matter is straightforward.
Who has the adhikara to practise the Atharvashirsha and the Rudri?
The speaker says that if there is no yajnopavita then there is no adhikara for Vedic path; practising the Atharvashirsha, the Rudri and the like is improper, because the adhikara even to practise is obtained from the yajnopavita. In place of it, he says the stuti made by Upamanyu ji in the Shiv Mahapuran gives fruit equal to the Rudri and may be practised; and in place of the Atharvashirsha one may do path of the Tantrokta Suktam.
Does a sphatik shivling need praan pratishtha before installation?
Asked whether praan pratishtha should be done to install a sphatik shivling, he says you can have the pratishtha done if you want it by the vidhi vidhan — though in his view there is no particular need. If you call a pandit ji and have the paath of the Atharvashirsham done, even that is plenty.
Case background: a farmer's grain-store land seized by a dabang village family, with no court, money or force to fight back
The speaker says that hearing someone's real sadhana experience makes one's faith in that devata and mantra firm, and shares the case of a friend from his sadhak circle, a farmer from the Rajasthan side. The dabang family of his village, owning the adjoining land, had fenced off and seized the plot outside his house where the grain store stood, just when the grain was finished and the new crop was to come. The family was ordinary: no money for court, no bodily strength, no numbers for a fight, and a court case would only make life in the village worse, with women and girls at home who could be harassed until the family broke mentally. He had already done the Ganesha Atharvashirsha sadhana the speaker had once written about for a land dispute, with no result.
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